From the Director

The mission of the Bluhm Legal Clinic is to train skilled, ethical, and public-spirited lawyers integral to a society that values and promotes justice. In a dynamic era for law and society, this mission is more critical than ever.

I am profoundly honored to succeed Tom Geraghty as the director of the Bluhm Legal Clinic. Tom’s thoughtful lawyering, excellence in teaching, and commitment to justice have inspired his students, colleagues and clients for over 40 years. The Bluhm Legal Clinic’s position at the forefront of clinical legal education and evolving issues in social justice today is due to Tom’s tireless efforts on its behalf.

But the old saying that “success has a hundred fathers” also applies to the clinic. Our current newsletter features a story about the exoneration of Charles Johnson, wrongly convicted of a double murder in the 1990s and represented for over 8 years by my colleague Steve Drizin and his outstanding team of lawyers and law students; profiles of Abby Parr and Samantha Woo, two clinic alumni in government and private practice, respectively, whose commitment to public service and rule of law embody the mission of the clinic; and much more.

The hallmark of our faculty is dedication and innovation. These qualities embody the dedicated trial advocacy professors and coaches of our trial advocacy classes and teams, including the student team that won first place at the 2017 National Trial Competition. They embody the faculty and staff of the Children and Family Justice Center, whose compassionate and strategic advocacy for children and families includes client representation in a variety of proceedings, policy advocacy, and holistic social support. Celebrating the 25th anniversary of their founding in 2017, my CFJC colleagues are creative leaders in their field, initiating last year a wide ranging speaker series on lawyering and race in the 21st century.

I could go on. Suffice it to say that it is a privilege to work at the Bluhm Legal Clinic, and to further its vital mission. I welcome your input on how best we can achieve it; my door is always open.